Kevin Hsieh Metters 謝家寶

Local Politics, Geopolitics & Chronically Online

[LakeShowYo @LakeShowYo]

Knicks fans are on a generational run 😭

MY MAYOR STILL MUSLIM
MY BAGEL STILL JEWISH
THE POPE ON OUR SIDE
KNICKS IN FIVE!!! 🖐🏽

[City & State NY @CityAndStateNY]

This is a place where every day you wake up you could experience everything from the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to a person who’s celebrating a new business that’s open.

[Jeff Coltin @JCColtin]

They’re rolling a big timb past Bryant Park

[Jeff Coltin @JCColtin]

Fresh off endorsing Grace Lee for Senate, John Liu is endorsing Wei-Li Tjong for her Manhattan Assembly seat, @SahalieD reports.

[Amtrak @Amtrak]

THE UNBRIDLED GREATNESS OF TRAINS WILL ENDURE FOR A MILLION YEARS

[Kevin Hsieh Metters 謝家寶 @kh_metters]

This is it - the Final Stretch. Join BYD as we canvass in Park Slope tomorrow @ 3PM for @zohranmamdani.

We’ll be collecting for local food banks, please bring any food you can spare!

Let’s do it for an affordable city for all New Yorkers, and future gens.

RSVP @ link in bio

[Kevin Hsieh Metters 謝家寶 @kh_metters]

@ZohranKMamdani turned record youth turnout into a referendum on the affordability crisis. Brooklyn youth powered that win - and now we’ll power him into City Hall to deliver a city for all & stand up to Trump and his allies. #TeamZohran

[Brad Lander @bradlander]

I was back at 26 Federal Plaza today (w/ @NYSenatorRivera), where an ICE agent violently threw this bereft woman to the ground in front of her kids. She had not touched him. She did not pose any threat. She had to be taken to the hospital.

[Brooklyn Young Democrats @BKYoungDems]

24 years later, we honor the 3000 lives lost on September 11, 2001, those lost in subsequent years, and stand with the families, first responders, and communities forever changed. We remember, we reflect, and we remain committed to building a safer, more just future. #NeverForget

[Ezra Klein @ezraklein]

In the last few years we've seen:

- The plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer
- The Storming of the Capitol and pipe bombs left at the RNC and DNC
- The break-in to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and the brutal on Paul Pelosi
- Multiple assassination attempts against Trump
- The assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shooting of on State Senator John Hoffman and his wife
- Luigi Mangione's assassination of Brian Thompson
- The assassination of Charlie Kirk

Political violence is contagious. It is spreading. It is not confined to one side or belief system. It should terrify us all.

The foundation of a free society is the ability to participate in it without fear of violence. Political violence is always an attack against us all. You have to be so blind not to see that.

[derek guy @dieworkwear]

I have a simple theory for this.

Any time this question is asked, people point to cultural or moral reasons (e.g., the declinist view of Western society or some other mumbo jumbo).

IMO, this is only because they lack insight into more important structural reasons, such as politics, economics, or institutions. Culture is certainly an important variable when discussing social outcomes. But it's often a black box used to explain variation that can't be explained by more important structural factors (and sometimes, culture emerges from structural factors!). And thus, when people lack insight into politics, economics, history, or institutions, they conveniently wave their hand and say "culture."

I have a simple theory for why we don't build stuff like this anymore: patronage.

These buildings didn't just pop out of the ground. They were funded through imperial or aristocratic patronage. That means they were funded by the state, church, or tycoons (e.g. New and Old Money).

This specific building below is Palais Garnier opera house in France, designed by Charles Garnier and built at the behest of Napoleon III. At the time, it cost about 36 million francs, which I believe is about $500M today. It took about fifteen years to build. The French state was fine with funding it because it projected imperial grandeur.

Certainly, we have expensive architectural projects today. But a lot of the money goes towards meeting code (e.g., structural integrity, seismic requirements, sustainability requirements). Labor is also more expensive now because you can't just exploit people (at least when there are unions). Land might also cost more, depending on the location of the project.

Building something like this today would cost considerably more than $500M.

And who would fund it? Can you imagine if the US government — currently already undergoing austerity cuts — spent something like a billion dollars on a building that only people in a certain city could enjoy? People would rightly lose their minds. You can't build something like this because 1) public scrutiny is higher, 2) we vote, and 3) this is seen as wasteful spending.

Of course, you could get billionaires to fund it. I have lamented that Jeff Bezos buys crappy designer dinner suits instead of using bespoke tailors, but some people lost their minds ("who cares?" "he's rich" or "he can do what he wants").

I'm not suggesting that we make a law preventing Bezos from spending money how he likes. But thus far, he has poured about $15 billion into Blue Origin. Can he spend $1 billion on building beautiful public libraries, theaters, or museums? They can be in this Beaux-Arts or Baroque architectural style, if he likes.

People ask "Why did humans stop building like this?" They should follow-up with: "How were these projects built? Who funded them? And why don't more billionaires today support artisans, craftspeople, and public work projects?"

FWIW, I have made this argument before and if you'd like to read it, you can check out this thread:

https://t.co/ycFWRLUOdh

[Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie 麥瑞 @zellnor4ny]

202 days ago, I got into this race. Not out of personal ambition — but out of a determination to deliver.

One million homes.
Afterschool for All.
A safer city.

It’s been a joy to connect with folks in every borough.

And tomorrow, I humbly ask for your support.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC]

One thing that has given me a lot of hope and inspiration is how many small, unseen acts of integrity and solidarity there have been in the coalition to defeat Cuomo - even among rival candidates.

There IS a bench of strong, selfless leaders in our city. They make me so proud.

[Zephyr Teachout 🇺🇸 @ZephyrTeachout]

Zellnor Myrie refused Cuomo’s back room offer to cross endorse and is now saying no never never no Cuomo. Class act close.

[Bernadette Hogan @bern_hogan]

Mayoral candidate and Central Brooklyn state Sen. @zellnor4ny gets emotional joining @GovKathyHochul to announce a $1B investment in @sunydownstate improvements — it was supposed to shut down (following $100s of millions in losses) it’ll stay open thanks to community lobbying

[Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie 麥瑞 @zellnor4ny]

Friends don't let friends rank Andrew Cuomo.

[Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie 麥瑞 @zellnor4ny]

The Trump Administration is dangerously escalating their attacks against asylum seekers and the people who are standing up for them. We cannot let these disturbing actions stand. I applaud Brad for standing up for what’s right.

[Chi Ossé @OsseChi]

Rent would go down for EVERYONE if we fulfilled @zellnor4ny’s plan to build one million homes🌇

[Jeff Coltin @JCColtin]

Mayoral campaign supporters are out in force against ahead of tonight’s debate — Andrew Cuomo has the most, by far, thanks to HTC and the Carpenters, but Zellnor Myrie has a drum line.

[Julia Salazar (@juliasalazar on bluesky) @JuliaCarmel__]

Does everyone remember a couple months ago, when it was reported that Cuomo attempted to get @zellnor4ny to cross-endorse him, and Zellnor rightly rejected that offer?

Thinking about that today and appreciating the integrity Zellnor showed in that moment.
https://t.co/2PWnxXO54c